Senne Lammens Draws Inspiration from Manchester United Icon Edwin van der Sar
Senne Lammens is striving to follow in the footsteps of Manchester United's legendary goalkeepers, with one particular figure resonating deeply with the young Belgian. The 23-year-old, who joined the Red Devils from Royal Antwerp in a surprising summer transfer, has quickly established himself as a key player after Andre Onana's departure.
A Gamble That Paid Off for Manchester United
Initially seen as a significant risk due to his lack of experience outside the Belgian league and no international caps at the time, Lammens has silenced critics with his calm and impressive performances. Now a one-cap Belgium international, he has played 21 games for Manchester United, effectively ending debates about the club's goalkeeping needs.
In an interview with Premier League Productions, Lammens discussed his development, noting the influence of former Manchester United goalkeepers. 'Growing up, David De Gea was and is still a big goalkeeper in the world, especially during his peak years at this club, so of course you watch him most of the time,' he said. 'But when I was growing up, it was 2008/2009, that was prime United as well, so it was van der Sar in goal then. I don’t really recall one particular save… I think I also can resonate with him more.'
Character Alignment and Team Philosophy
Lammens highlighted similarities in character with van der Sar, emphasizing the Dutchman's reliability and solid presence. 'Our characters are maybe a bit more alike, and just every game he was solid and he was there and he was a rock behind the defence,' he explained. The young goalkeeper also shared his philosophy on supporting teammates, stating, 'As a goalkeeper, sometimes you just don’t really have to make too many big saves, you just don’t want to give the game away, you always want to stay in the game. So then it’s players like Bruno Fernandes or other people, attackers can make the difference in the game, so that’s also something I’m trying to do, to keep my team in the game when it needs to be.'
Van der Sar's Legacy and Lammens' Challenge
Edwin van der Sar joined Manchester United in 2005 from Fulham as a seasoned 34-year-old, going on to make 266 appearances over six seasons. His tenure included four Premier League titles, a Champions League victory, and two League Cups before retiring in 2011. In contrast, Lammens has a long journey ahead to match such achievements, and not everyone is convinced of his readiness.
Former Manchester United assistant Rene Meulensteen expressed doubts, telling BetGoat, 'While Senne Lammens has done well, he’s not yet at the level Manchester United needs in terms of personality, leadership, and certain aspects of his goalkeeping. I still think there are some weaknesses there. Furthermore, you’re not in Europe at the moment, which presents another challenge altogether when you have to play in the Champions League against big teams.'
Meulensteen emphasized the importance of an outstanding goalkeeper for trophy-winning teams, citing examples like Gianluigi Donnarumma. 'For me, every good, successful team that has won trophies had an outstanding goalkeeper, an absolute outstanding goalkeeper. You saw, for instance, the save that Gianluigi Donnarumma made on that deflected shot against Liverpool. Otherwise, Liverpool would have gone ahead again. That’s the kind of save goalkeepers need to make. And I’m not entirely sure whether Lammens is there just yet.'
Lammens' Current Statistics and Future Prospects
In his 21 appearances for Manchester United, Lammens has kept four clean sheets while conceding 28 goals. As he continues to develop, the young goalkeeper faces the dual challenge of living up to van der Sar's legacy and proving his critics wrong in high-stakes competitions.
